The Prophet

Both. I'm happy with Perch but Boyd would of given us something different up front, his signing on fee isn't bad either.

Liverpool - Gerrard and Torres = Average team.

We're all aware there's better out there but give our budget and caliber of manager we aren't going to be rooting up trees in the transfer market. I'm underwhelmed but I'll give the lad a chance before I start deeming him not good enough.

Can play right back and defensive midfield so will add some depth to the squad. Underwhelming but it's a start.

Yes. He's certainly a larger presence.

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/01/article-1277983150058-0A28FCB9000005DC-976459_304x280.jpg Postman Pat. http://vrempire.com/Image/BlogImg/20091027-PostmanPat/Postman-Pat.jpg Fabio Capello.

Were the whole side not shite though? Genuine question, can't really remember.

Nah, the stingray's sister.

A penalty being called a 'pen'. It's not like it's difficult to say. nothing more annoying than Merson crying: 'Pen...he's got a pen!' Oh and Paul Merson but I'm sure I've already mentioned him at least twice in this thread.

Boom boom

It usually does.

Coming up next: 'Would you rather have chlamydia or support the mackems?'

Huh? Really? Well I dont see how supporting a football club has to come exclusively ahead of all other sporting success. Obviously I've picked an example which people can't relate to as its a sport pretty much 5 people are into on the whole forum, and of course there are many who understandably have Newcastle as their number one love, but just to give another example would anyone rather Murray won Wimbledon than Newcastle qualified for the UEFA Cup? Murray isn't even from this country though.

A midfield of: -----------------------Colo-------------------Guthrie----------------------- Routledge----------------------Barton------------------------------Jonas ...could work actually. Obviously Hughton would never drop Nolan but Colo is streets ahead of Smith on the ball while Barton would probably provide more pace than Nolan.

Said for a while Taylor should be given a shot at RB. Obviously you lot will know better: are there any major reasons why he shouldn't be given a go here? Enrique-----Colo----Williamson----Taylor seems a relatively strong backline. Enrique playing righ back? Really? Seriously though you can only assume he doesn't like playing there/Hughton doesn't like playing him there. I'd certianly feel more comfortable with Williamson in the back four than Simpson though.

No.

I'd like to see Taylor moved to right back and Williamson in the middle too but it's never going to happen. I think if we played Barton it would probably be in place of Routledge knowing Hughton.

Inter won the Champions League playing it, the Dutch and Germans have reached the world cup semi-finals emplying it so is there something in the 4-2-3-1 formation? Watching the Germans toy with Argentina certianly highlighted the benafits of playing said formation over 4-4-2. It provides defensive insurance, an extra body in the middle and played correctly little is sacraficed going forward. There aren't many Premier League mangers willing to move from two banks of four so a 4-2-3-1 could certainly bring something new to the table. Given we'd still need to improve certian positions we could line up like this: -------------------------------Harper-------------------------------- Simpson------------Taylor--------------Colo------------Enrique -------------------Smith------------------Guthrie------------------ Routledge--------------------Nolan-------------------------Jonas -------------------------------Carroll--------------------------------- We'd have the extra insurance of Smith throwing himself around at the back or engaging in a man marking job and we'd still have a fairly direct front four. Obviously the limited nature of Smith and Nolan as footballers would still be a worry but I'd feel safer with the extra insurance as a pose to the immensly unfit pairing of Guthrie and Nolan. Obviously it's unlikely a coach of limited nature such as Hughton would ever play such a formation. It would also rely on everybody being well drilled and orgnaised, something we'll need anyway if we're to stay up. It could easily back fire but if we're wanting to try something outside the box I'd certianly give it some thought.

As a good as Arteta is for Everton he is seems to be becoming a bit of a perma crock. At 29 I'd certianly listen to offers but given his quality and how important he is to Everton I'd want a better deal that City are allegedly. Having said that I'd wait to see what Pinaar is doing. Don't want to be selling all your creativity at once.

Bah, we should have been in there. McDonald and Boyd should tear shit up in the Championship.

It really was, I thought they'd messed it up with a weak pass to Ozil. Then I thought he'd mess up the pass to Klose, but he didn't, it was just perfect floated onto his foot. Then Klose just slotted it home, I don't understand how that man steps up so much at international football. Strange, strange player. Aye, one of Ronaldo's record too isn't he?

Hope holland thrash them. Each goal comes about due to an act of cheating. At full time said cheaters climb onto the shoulders of their team mates and celebrate in front of the crying Uruguians starting with Suarez. Utter cunt.

I am sick to the back teeth about hearing how f***ing great rugby is and how football should follow it's examples. People DO cheat in rugby. They gouge eyes, stamp on heads, do illegal high and dump tackles, illegal cross over runs, fight with each other and many other things. The only thing Rugby does well (in most situations, not all) is punish people who transgress severely. It doesn't mean the players are any less cynical when trying to gain the upper hand on their opponents. I didn't say they didn't. I was simply alluding to the fact you don't get players bitching and moaning, rolling round on the ground feigning injury trying to get the other player sin binned. Probably because there's much more respect for the opponent and more importantly the ref. On an unrelated note this is also why the arguemnt 'we shouldn't have technology because it would slow the game down' is absolute shite. By the time the players roll round/bitch and surround the ref a decision could have been made in the issue, it just doesn't wash.

While Germany's youngsters have looked impressive at times they've still got a lot to prove. They may well go on to achieve great things but at the same time the media are going on as if they've already made it because they dumped out a woeful England side.